Fence



` A(Nov Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

' E. G. 88 s. M. STORM.

FENCE. No. 481,980. Patented Sept. 6, 1892.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. G. 8v S'. M. STORM.

FENCE.

(No Model.)

No.48.1,980. Patented Sept. 6, 1892.

EDWARD G. STORM AND SAMUEL M. STORM, OF LEBANON, INDIANA.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,980, datedSeptember 6, 1892.

Application led February 19, 1892. Serial No. 422,155. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD G. STORM and SAMUEL M. STORM, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Lebanon, in the county of Boone and Stateof Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences;and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fences,it having for its object to provide an improved construction of poststherefor, of means for bracing the post, and of means for stretching andholding taut the wires stretched between th e posts; and for thesepurposes it consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof the several parts of which it is composed, as will be hereinaftermore fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts aredesignated by similar' letters, Figure 1 is an elevation of a panel ofafence having our improvement applied thereto, the surface-level of theground being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an end View thereof.Fig. 3 is a perspective view 0f the base of a post. Fig. 4 is afragmental longitudinal vertical view through the post on the line :ofr, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail plan View of one of thetightening-windlasses for the wires. Fig. 6 is a detail horizontalsection through one of the vertical ties, taken on the line ,e a' ofFig. 1. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section on the line y y, Fig. 1Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the pieces 15.

The posts consist, essentially, of two partsthe base 1, which is belowthe surface of the ground, and the upright post proper 2-the two partsbeing connected by a ball-andsocket joint, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed, thus permitting the upright 2 to assume a vertical positionirrespective of the inclination with which the base may be planted inthe ground.

The base 1 is formed by a hal'fcircle 3, from which the lateral Wings orfins 4 arise, the said wings being connected together at their top andalso connected with the upper end of the longitudinal wing 5, the baseof which is connected with the central part of the half-circle 3, all ofthe said wings 4 and 5 terminating in a ball G, it being evident that abase such as that described is capable of being readily cast in iron orany other suitv one-half of a spherical bearing 8, corresponding to theball 6 upon the upper end of the base 1 and in which the said ball isadapted to be contained. The block 9 has the opposite half of thebearing therein and is adapted when inserted in the cut-away portion 10in the enlargement to be held therein by means of bolts or wires 1l,passing through it and the said enlargement, thus completing a sphericalbearing, in which the ball 6 is contained, and forming a ball-and-socketjoint between the two members of the post. In order that the upright maybe secured at any lateral inclination desired, arms 12 project laterallyfrom the lower end thereof and having grooves 13 in their outer ends inwhich guy-wires 14, having their lower ends secured to the half-circle 3and their upper ends secured to the upper end of the upright 2, areadapted to be contained. It will thus be seen that by lengthening thewire 14 upon one side of the post and taking up the wire on the otherthat the upright may be secured at any inclination to the base 1. Insecuring the guys 14 to the uprights 2, we by preference make use of thepiece 15, which is shown in detail in Fig. 8. It will be seen that thispiece consists of a single piece of metal having a central eye 152, andon each side thereof an eye 153, to which latter eyes the upper ends ofthe guys 14 are connected, the central eye being slipped over theupright 2,'as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the said piece 15 having aprojection l5 opposite the central eye 152. This projection 15 serves topenetrate the upper end of the brace 16, the lower end of which restsupon the surface of the ground, and which is adapted to be drawn towardthe post by twisting the wires 17, whose opposite ends are connected tothe lower ends of the brace IOO and the upright 2. It will thus be seenthat as the piece 15 is prevented from rising on the post by reason ofthe guys 14, that if the lower end of the brace 16 be drawn upon thesurface of the ground toward the post that the upper end of the uprightwill be forced backward to a corresponding extent. The longitudinalwires 1S are stretched between the posts at any suitable distance apart,and are adapted to be drawn taut by the windlasses 19, the constructionof which is as follows: A strip 19 of sheet-iron is bent into the formof a U, whose opposite members are perforated, as at 192, to formbearings for the studs 193 upon the ends of the drum 194, which isgrooved and contained between the two members, one of the said studsbeing squared to receive acrank-handle for rotating it. One of themembers of the U-shaped strip has its end continued and bent inward, asat 195, the said end being perforated and adapted to receive apin 19,passing therethrough and into cavities in the drum, which latter canthus be locked against rotation. Each of the wires 18 is sevcred,ithaving one of its severed ends secured to the strip 19 of one of thewindlassed, while its opposite severed end is wrapped around and securedin the grooved portion of the drum 194. It will thus be seen that uponrotating the drum ofthe several windlasses that the wires 1S will bedrawn taut, and upon inserting the pins 196 the drums will be locked andwires held taut. The ties 20 serve to steady the wires 18 and to holdthem at the desired distance apart, for which purpose they each consistof an L- shaped strip of metal (preferably galvanized iron) and haveslots 21 cut therein at their angle at the desired distance of the wires18 apart, through which slots the wires pass, they being held therein bymeans of the vertical locking-wires 22, which preferably pass verticallybetween all of the said wires 1S and the inner surface of the angle ofthe tie, as Seen in Figs. G and 7.

It will be seen that a durable and efficient fence is procured at arelatively small cost, the several members being capable of beingcheaply produced, while they can be readily and rapidly assembledtogether by unskilled labor.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a fence-post, the combination, with a base and upright articulatedtogether, of arms projecting laterally from the sides of the saidupright and guys passing over the said arms and secured to the lower endof the said base and the upper end of the said upright, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a fence-post, the combination, with a base formed of a half-circlehaving lateral and longitudinal win gs arising therefrom, the wingshaving their upper ends connected together, ot a ball rigidly secured tothe upper ends of the said wings, an upright having in its lower end onehalf of a spherical bearing corresponding to the said ball, a blocksecured to the said bearing and having the opposite half of the saidbearing therein, a piece 15, mounted on the said post and having an eye152 on each side thereof, arms projecting laterally from the lower endof the said upright, and guy-Wires passing over the said arms and havingtheir lower ends secured to the said half-circle and their upper ends tothe said eyes, substantially as described.

3. In a fence, the co1nbination,with a base, of an upright articulatedthereon, arms projecting laterally from the side of the said upright, apiece 15, mounted on the said post and having eyes on each side thereof,and guywires secured to the said base and to the said eyes and passingover the said arms, substanstantially as described.

4. In a fence-post, the combination, with a base and of an uprightarticulated thereto, of a piece 15, having a projection 15 thereon andhaving an eye 152 surrounding the said upright and an eye 153 on eachside of the said post, lateral arms projecting from the base of the saidupright, guy-wires passing over the said arms and connected to the saidbase and to the said eyes 153, a brace having its upper end engaged bythe projection 15 and its lower end bearing upon the ground, and twistedwires having their opposite ends secured to the base of the said braceand of the upright, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our si guatures in presence of twowitnesses.

EDXVARD G. STORM. SAMUEL M. ."FORM. Witnesses:

CHARLES F. S. NEAL, THOMAS NV. LocKI-IART.

IOO

